Gardening 4 Gains Plant Rant

The groundhog didn't see his shadow, so that means we've got an early spring on its way to us!

I am chomping at the bit to get some seeds planted, but I have to keep reminding myself to slow down and be patient. In the past I have started tomatoes too early and then run into issues with plugs becoming rootbound or I'll have to do extra work with transplanting into larger pots. I also talk about my plans to experiment with planting tomato seeds directly in 4 inch CowPots and testing that growth against the plants grown in the plug trays. I also talk about the joy of growing a garden versus the pressure of growing for a CSA - though this year I feel much more confident because I have created an elaborate strategy & plan that will ensure optimization of processes and a solid harvest all year round. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

Tyler and I have been lifelong friends and we are always texting each other about our creative ideas or life philosophy, and always end up in debate. That sparked us to step up to the podcast mic and dive into multiple topics including: thoughts on New year's resolutions, fitness & health goals, Creativity & Creative Process with art & music, and finally our big debate on whether life is a fight or life is a game. How do you play it? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

In today's episode I switch it up and am trying out a new segment - The Friday 5

Are you still going strong on your New Year's Resolutions? Resolutions are easy to forget about or discard unless you have a strong purpose & belief in what you want to accomplish. I focus in on my resolutions today, plus my goals of total mind body optimization, and how we should listen to our feelings & understand them - not run from them

Yesterday I started my first seeds of the season - Evergreen White Bunching Onions

In today's episode we're back to planning the garden and I talk about my goals for complete organization in the garden so that I can collect data and experiment properly with new fertilizers

Today's episode was meant to be about "planning" in general but once I got talking, I got sucked down the rabbit hole of wedding planning that is currently engulfing me and Kyla's lives

Last week Kyla brought me home an envelope full of top secret seeds for this year's garden. In today's episode I open them and give my 2 cents on each seed packet. I wasn't sure how this type of episode would work out but it was kind of exciting not knowing what I was going to pull out of the packet and what we will be growing in the garden this year. Of course we've got a few varieties of tomatoes, peppers, but there's also some unique Insta-worthy plants that are gonna be growing in the Garden of Gains. There's a ton of great seeds at Gurney's and I can't wait to get planting! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

In today's episode, we finally start getting into the nitty gritty of Starting a Garden from Seed. We will be beginning with the topics of Seeds, Soil, and Supplies - and that's exactly what I dive into in this episode! First I talk about the importance of figuring out your Growing Zone. From there you can work backwards to figure out when you should be planting your seeds. If you're in Zone 6 like me, you probably won't be starting seeds for a few more weeks, so now's the perfect time to round up your seeds & supplies so you're not scrambling later on. Secondly, you need to get your seeds! There are 3 main companies that I have gone through in the past: Gurney's, Burpee, and Johnny's Seeds. All of these are highly reputable companies - it just comes down to preference. And it's important to note that there are a BUNCH of great suppliers out there! Lastly after discussing seed selection, I dive into the supplies that you will need. Primarily this will include seed trays, plug trays, inserts, and I talk ab

Late starts and missed moments of opportunity are easy to blame your procrastination on, but I've found the most important thing is to keep pressing onward. You can't beat yourself up over what you did wrong, you just gotta keep moving forward and accomplish the next things on your list. We either want it all or want nothing - what is that all about? Set your intentions and most important goals for the day and find a way to make it happen

Morning routines are either put on a pedestal or dragged through the mud, but I've been having great success with my routine and it's helped me build on my goals by being consistent. Today's episode talks about the importance of setting an intention for something you HAVE to do - for me that is writing my Morning Pages. Morning Pages are a stream of consciousness writing designed to get you out of creative funks and enhance your creativity. I talk about why I think morning routines are important for me and how writing and art is a form of therapy because of the expression and exploration of emotions that happens. What are you morning routines and how do you stick to them? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

After being at a trade show from Wednesday to Friday, I didn't think I would be doing much the rest of the weekend - but I'm so glad I did! Saturday I went indoor rock climbing at Urban Krag in Dayton with my brother Adam. We didn't know what to expect but we ended up having a blast, just climbing and playing like little kids

Day two of MANTS was another great one and even busier than the first day! I felt much more on top of my game after getting a full night's sleep and had a full day of talking shop and networking with growers and suppliers. Today's episode talks about the connections I made, the importance of trade shows and networking, and I came away with a few business ideas for Gardening 4 Gains as well. The show may be coming to an end but that just means the growing season is getting closer and I can't wait to get plants in the ground! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

It's a late one podcast today but that's because I had to wake up before 3am to catch a flight to the MANTS Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show. Today's episode is a recap of day 1 of the "masterpiece of trade shows" on its 50th anniversary. I talk about what I like and dislike about trade shows, my mission at shows, and why MANTS is the best show in the industry. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

Today's episode is focused on the importance of morning routines and how I'm using mine to unlock creativity. Recently I began the practice of mindfulness meditation and I have also started a creative course called The Artist's Way which involves writing "morning pages". Morning Pages are done every morning upon waking and essentially is a 3-page stream of consciousness writing - no topics, no flow, no sense-making necessary. The important thing is to Do, to write despite what the Censor in your head tells you. What do you do to unblock yourself creatively? Have you ever tried Morning Pages or read The Artist's Way? Would love to hear your thoughts on what gets your creative juices flowing

It may be January, but that doesn't mean the garden isn't on my mind! In today's episode I talk about the crops that I am focusing on growing: tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, root veggies like carrots, turnips, and beets, and then lettuce, spinach, leafy greens, and herbs. Last year I wasted a lot of space by testing out veggies that took up space, and didn't perfect up to expectations. I believe that my focus on succession planting will ensure a continuous harvest of greens, while the focus on long-term storage veggies like carrots, potatoes, turnips, and beets will ensure that we will have a continuous supply of those hearty veggies for customers. The next step for my garden is to lay out the full propagation plan so that I can understand the planting dates, space required for each crop, potential yields & harvest dates - and to figure out how many people I can feed from my 1,000 square foot backyard urban garden. This year I am putting much more focus on building my business & the products/servic

For the past few years I have actually written down my resolutions and I believe it helps me achieve the goals that I set for myself. Not only do I write them down, but do a monthly check-in to see how I'm doing and redirect course as needed. In today's episode I talk about how having an open mind is critical to allowing yourself set goals and to pursue them. I also talk about my resolutions ranging from daily rituals of mindfulness meditation and writing my Morning Pages to things we want to do to the house. Do you set resolutions every year? How do you hold yourself accountable? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gardening4gains/support

We started 2020 off with a bang

Last week I attended the Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids. This show is more focused on fruit & vegetable production and the small farmer looking to diversify their operations to create more opportunities for profit and attracting customers. Typically my main goal when attending trade shows is to find new suppliers or products, but there is just as much, if not more, value in attending the education sessions. In today's episode I talk about the education sessions I attended, some things I've learned, the ROI of those insights and trade shows in general, and some new types of crops I want to plant for the CSA next year as a result